As a lawyer and politician I believe in our personal ambitions we are individualists. But in our seeking for economic, education, social and political progress as a nation, we all go up or else all go down as one people.

Month: August 2014

Gerakan Youth called on the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak to make a firm stand against extremism.

Gerakan deputy youth chief Andy Yong said, “PM should not be taking the middle ground because by doing so he is putting on the reverse gear instead of nation-building.

“More importantly is unless PM is saying Malaysia is an Islamic state, hudud should has no place in a multi-religious society.,” said Andy.

Andy stressed that nowhere in Malaysia’s Federal Constitution has expressly stated that the country is an Islamic state.

“In fact back in 1988, the then-Supreme Court in the case of Che Omar Bin Che Soh vs Public Prosecutor has decided that laws in Malaysia do not have to conform to Islamic principles” added Andy.

Non-Muslim leaders from both Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional are against the extremism.

However, despite BN component parties – namely MCA, MIC, Gerakan, Sarawak United Peoples Party and Sabah-based Liberal Democratic Party – condemning PAS for attempting to impose hudud, Najib said that the government has never prohibited it.

Najib said many restraints and issues must be scrutinised and tackled first before hudud law could be implemented without affecting its objectives.

“There is a big difference between rejecting hudud and not implementing it due to various restraints and issues.

“That’s why we need ulama among the mujtahid (Islamic scholar competent in interpreting syaria by ijtihad or independent reasoning) to scrutinise and to exercise ijtihad so that justice can be served,” said Najib.

Andy claimed, “Such remarks by the PM shows he is holding back by not wanting to offend both Muslims and non-Muslims in the country.

“Perhaps I must add that not only the PM but (Opposition leader) Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim should also make a strong call that extremism can never be used in our country,” stressed Andy.

Andy noted that “The Federal Constitution being the supreme law of the land was founded on the courage, conviction and compromises of our forefathers who had grapple not only with inter-ethnic and religious rivalries but also the demands of the radicals in the country”.

“Many political parties and NGOs have recently taken the stand to uphold the principles of the Federal Constitution.

“I therefore humbly request the PM to take a firm stand to fully reject extremism and to cease all rhetoric which has inevitably caused confusion and divisions within the society,” stressed Andy. – TMT